PERFECTING THE SAINTS

SERIES ONE
FELLOWSHIP FOR THE CHINESE-SPEAKING SERVING ONES IN NORTH AMERICA – 02.15.2026

Message Five

The Glorious Vision and the Way of the Cross

Scripture reading: Gen. 11:31; Ex. 3:10; Matt. 3:13-17; 16:24; Luke 9:28-35, 51; John 12:24; Acts 7:2-3; 9:2-3; 26:19; Rom. 6:6; 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:2; Prov. 29:18

I.To serve the Lord, one must have a glorious vision; everyone who serves the Lord must have a glorious seeing; it is not that your seeing is glorious, but that the matter you have seen is too glorious, so your seeing becomes glorious; this is called a glorious vision—Acts 26:19; Prov. 29:18:

A.Serving the Lord is a momentous matter; it is a momentous matter in heaven and earth and in the universe; whether we speak of serving the Lord from this aspect or bearing witness for the Lord from that aspect, it is not a small matter—Acts 1:8; 7:2-3; Rom. 1:9; Rev. 4:11.

B.The so-called “vision” means something uncommon, unusual, special, and particular; and the so-called “sight” is a kind of scene, a kind of spectacle; a “vision” is a special seeing—Acts 26:19; Prov. 29:18.

C.Everyone who serves God must have a vision; from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see that everyone who serves God has a vision—Gen. 3:21; 6:13-22; 12:1-4; Josh. 1:2, 6; 2 Cor. 12:1; Eph. 3:3-5:

1.Abel’s offering was out of a vision; God showed him that he should do so, and he did it; therefore, it was acceptable to God—Gen. 3:21; Heb. 11:4.

2.Noah built the ark by receiving God’s revelation, by receiving God’s vision; God told him how to do it, and he did it; the same was true for Abraham; his departure from Ur of the Chaldees was not because he was pleased to do so, but it was revealed by God, it was a vision God gave him—Gen. 6:13-22; 12:1-4.

3.Moses’ leading the children of Israel out of Egypt was not of his own initiative; rather, God sent him, telling him, “I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt”—Ex. 3:10.

D.From the whole Bible we see that every person who serves the Lord has a beginning of being called; when you are called by the Lord, you have seen a vision; the Lord’s calling is the appearing of God’s glory to you; His appearing to you is not without purpose; God’s appearing to you is His calling you, causing you to be called—Gen. 11:31; Acts 7:2-3; 9:2-3.

E.After we have had a glorious seeing, our entire life’s concept, attitude, tone, and thought will be changed and completely different from before; although we are still eating, drinking, resting, and working, our whole being is being transformed; this is our reaction after seeing a vision—26:9-29.

II.Where there is a vision, there is a way; a glorious vision always leads us to walk on a path; if we have seen something, we will surely have an action, and this action is to walk the way of the cross—Acts 26:19; Matt. 16:24:

A.Many people think that the cross is suffering; strictly speaking, the cross does not emphasize suffering so much; the ultimate meaning of the cross is not suffering, but death—v. 24 and note 3:

1.The meaning of the cross is termination, is ending; it terminates not only sin but also you and me as a person; if a person has not died, has not been terminated, it is extremely difficult for him to escape from sin and the world—v. 24.

2.What God has given us is only Christ and His cross; the cross terminates man, and Christ expresses God; just as Christ and the cross are inseparable, so the experience of God being expressed in man and the cross terminating man is also inseparable—v. 24; 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 2:20.

B.When we have seen a vision, the vision will surely send us to walk the way of the cross; this way does not emphasize suffering, but emphasizes no self; the way of the cross is the way of no self; those who walk this way all put themselves aside, having only Christ, only God—Gal. 2:20; Matt. 16:24.

C.The meaning of the cross is to put you aside, to put your person, your person’s life, aside—Gal. 2:20; Matt. 16:24:

1.Formerly, when you did things, you were the master, you were the person; now your person has been crucified; it is no longer you who is the person, but the Lord who is the person; “I have been crucified with Christ”; being crucified is the end; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me—Gal. 2:20.

2.The person of my soul has been denied, the life of my soul has been denied, but the faculties of my soul are still here; I still have thought, emotion, and will, but the master who uses these functions has been changed; it is no longer I, but Christ—v. 20.

D.On the Mount of Transfiguration, in this vision, the Lord Jesus saw clearly that the path to glory was to go to Jerusalem; He set His face to go to Jerusalem; Isaiah said that He “set His face like a flint”; He walked from this mountain to the cross—Luke 9:28-35; Isa. 50:7.

III.The work we do for the Lord is different from the things worldly people do; they can do things individually, but we cannot serve the Lord alone, because our service to the Lord is the activity of the whole Body; we are all members of the Body and need to coordinate together; the secret of coordination is to be hung on the cross, having no opinion—Ezek. 1:5-14; Phil. 2:2; Matt. 20:20-28:

A.For the Philippians to make Paul’s joy full, they had to have no opinion; but it is not easy to have no opinion; for two co-workers not to quarrel, not to have opinions, not to have a long face, the best way is to hang you on the cross—Phil. 2:2 and note 2.

B.Having no consideration, only knowing to do the work, each of us must learn a lesson; we should not think of high things, nor of low things, but only know to do the work—Matt. 20:25-28.

C.Having no choice, only knowing to obey; we must learn to be without self in the Lord’s work, that is, to have no I; only knowing to work, only knowing to serve, only knowing to pray, only knowing to be close to the Lord, and doing nothing else—Gal. 2:20; Rom. 12:7.

D.Having no ambition or calculation, only desiring that people see the cross and resurrection; I only know to walk according to the spirit; toward anyone, I should be humble, gentle, and loving; toward the work, I only know to be diligent, only know to do the work—Gal. 2:20; Matt. 16:24:

1.If there are those taking the lead, I will do whatever the leaders arrange; having no feeling, no choice, no calculation at all; this is the way of the cross—Rom. 13:1.

2.What is walking the way of the cross; it is, first, not I; second, not I; third, not I; and finally, not I; entirely not I; this is death—Gal. 2:20.

IV.Service is the expression of the life of Christ; the expression of the life of Christ is based on the breaking of the cross, and the breaking of the cross is based on our learning; those who serve need to know the way of the cross and accept the breaking of the cross—Matt. 16:24:

A.Because the way of the breaking of the cross has not been opened up broadly enough among God’s children, the life of Christ in the local churches cannot be expressed from within the brothers and sisters; as a result, in the service of the church, there are almost no people who can take responsibility and bear burdens—v. 24.

B.All who serve should accept the breaking of the cross, allowing Christ to live out, so as to supply Christ and supply life; only then will there be real work; without Christ, there is no work; the real work is the outflow of life, the expression of Christ—v. 24; Col. 3:11.

C.We need to see this vision; we are in Him, and we have been crucified with Him; God has accomplished the glorious fact of putting us in Christ; our old man has been crucified with Him—Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20.

V.Wherever you are, there is only Christ, not I; it is no longer I who live, but Christ; if you can learn this lesson well and walk this way of the cross, your work will surely be effective and blessed—Eph. 3:11b; Gal. 2:20:

A.The Mount of Transfiguration revealed that the way to glory must pass through Jerusalem; we now need the revelation, vision, and view from the Mount of Transfiguration, so that we can see clearly that we cannot hope for the rapture except by bearing the cross and accomplishing God’s will—Luke 9:28-35; Matt. 16:24.

B.May the Spirit of God give us a spiritual vision, that we may truly know the relationship between the rapture and the accomplishment of God’s will; may we, after having such a view, be truly faithful unto death, still bearing the cross and following the Lord; may we be able to say with Paul, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision”—Matt. 26:39; 16:24; Heb. 12:2; Col. 1:24.